By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Oct 7:
The heroin weighing 200 kg was seized and six people were arrested from an Iranian Dhow, 1200 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi in Kerala in a joint operation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy on Thursday.
The six arrested from the dhow include 04 from Iran and identity of two was yet to be established, although they are suspected to be Pakistanis. They did not carry identity cards, the NCB officials said.
During the search, the Navy team recovered heroin from the boat. Following this, the boat was taken to Mattancherry, Kochi. The accused are being questioned for more details. The drugs will be handed over to the Kerala coastal police. The operation was based on a tip off from international agencies.
The contraband was reportedly brought from Afghanistan to Kerala by international drug cartel and seized substances were worth crores in drug market. It may be recalled that in May, a joint team of NCB and DRI had seized 218 kg heroin off Lakshadweep coast. The Indian Navy, Coast Guard and other agencies have increased patrolling near Lakshadweep coast after intelligence reports about the cartels eyeing the coast for drugs smuggling.
DRI
In another operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 16 kg heroin valued at Rs 80 crore from a passenger at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai on Tuesday. A passenger travelling from Malawi, an African country, to Mumbai via Qatar was trying to smuggle narcotic drugs into the country.
The passenger had hidden the contraband in the cavities of a trolley bag. Based on the information provided by him, the Ghanaian woman was subsequently nabbed from a hotel in Delhi who was to take delivery of the drugs. The accused have been booked under the NDPS Act.
